Sandhills Elementary

Summary:

Sandhills Elementary is a public elementary school located in Swansea, South Carolina, serving grades 3-4 with a student population of 488. The school is part of the Lexington 04 school district, which is ranked 68 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sandhills Elementary faces significant challenges, with consistently low academic performance and a high percentage of students from low-income families. The school has a diverse student population, with a higher percentage of White (54.1%) and Hispanic (25.82%) students compared to the state average, but its African American (13.32%) and Asian (0.41%) student populations are lower. Academically, Sandhills Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 25% of South Carolina elementary schools, with student proficiency rates on state assessments well below the state and district averages. This underperformance is particularly pronounced among the school's English Language Learner (ELL) and Disabled student populations.

Interestingly, the nearby Sandhills Primary and Lexington Four Early Childhood Center schools, which serve younger grades, have similar demographic and socioeconomic profiles to Sandhills Elementary but appear to have slightly higher spending per student and better student-teacher ratios, which may contribute to their slightly better performance on state assessments. The persistent underperformance at Sandhills Elementary highlights the need for a targeted, long-term approach to improve educational outcomes for its students.


Detail:

Public 3-4

 130 Lewis Rast Road
       Swansea, SC  29160


(803) 490-7003

District: Lexington 04

SchoolDigger Rank:
455th of 638 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,210 Help


Students who attend Sandhills Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Frances F. Mack Intermediate
    Sandhills Middle
High:    Swansea High

Student/teacher ratio:  13.9 Help
Number of students:  474

Racial breakdown:

White:
48.3%
Hispanic:
28.5%
African American:
16.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Sandhills Elementary ranks worse than 71.3% of elementary schools in South Carolina. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.84. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Sandhills Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Lexington 04 School District. Student population at Sandhills Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (48.3%), Hispanic (28.5%), African American (16.5%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Lexington 04 School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sandhills Elementary is 13.9. 1 elementary schools in the Lexington 04 School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Sandhills Elementary employs 34 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sandhills Elementary is $12,210, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Lexington 04 School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sandhills Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Sandhills Elementary 455th of 638 South Carolina public elementary schools. (See Sandhills Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Lexington 04:

SchoolDigger ranks Lexington 04 68th of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Sandhills Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Sandhills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 50.47 293rd 542 45.9%
2004 50.18 312th 550 43.3%
2005 44.17 354th 557 36.4%
2006 39.03 384th 559 31.3%
2007 37.22 407th 566 28.1%
2008 40.46 388th 577 32.8%
2009 22.82 498th 580 14.1%
2010 32.80 442nd 589 25.0%
2011 32.01 458th 597 23.3%
2012 24.51 506th 594 14.8%
2013 14.91 552nd 599 7.8%
2014 17.97 576th 630 8.6%
2015 14.28 595th 638 6.7%
2016 7.00 596th 619 3.7%
2017 7.53 622nd 639 2.7%
2018 6.41 615th 624 1.4%
2019 8.82 608th 643 5.4%
2021 8.71 592nd 622 4.8%
2022 16.16 529th 625 15.4%
2023 17.54 545th 644 15.4%
2024 28.84 455th 638 28.7%
See the entire list of South Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Sandhills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 6.66 5th 5 0.0%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Sandhills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 8.50 80th 82 2.4%
2019 6.54 104th 104 0.0%
2021 13.54 79th 84 6.0%
2022 12.47 79th 84 6.0%
2023 13.23 68th 72 5.6%
2024 18.02 67th 79 15.2%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sandhills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 6.17 584th 588 0.7%
2019 8.25 585th 600 2.5%
2021 10.59 553rd 580 4.7%
2022 17.28 523rd 600 12.8%
2023 19.34 519th 608 14.6%
2024 34.10 415th 599 30.7%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sandhills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 5.23 565th 570 0.9%
2019 8.45 562nd 588 4.4%
2021 7.07 538th 554 2.9%
2022 13.74 501st 573 12.6%
2023 21.98 469th 580 19.1%
2024 25.17 433rd 565 23.4%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Sandhills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 11.26 157th 161 2.5%
2019 20.23 166th 189 12.2%
2021 10.21 119th 122 2.5%
2022 17.15 140th 151 7.3%
2023 25.41 133rd 174 23.6%
2024 38.20 94th 143 34.3%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sandhills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 7.72 556th 571 2.6%
2019 8.67 564th 590 4.4%
2021 8.66 528th 561 5.9%
2022 18.11 480th 579 17.1%
2023 12.91 519th 582 10.8%
2024 30.51 399th 568 29.8%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Sandhills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 8.94 408th 412 1.0%
2019 10.90 413th 421 1.9%
2021 9.41 348th 350 0.6%
2022 18.80 357th 393 9.2%
2023 26.76 324th 394 17.8%
2024 49.42 176th 369 52.3%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sandhills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 4.93 102nd 104 1.9%
2019 6.60 116th 116 0.0%
2021 7.95 84th 86 2.3%
2022 13.03 109th 115 5.2%
2023 21.37 95th 115 17.4%
2024 23.32 90th 115 21.7%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Sandhills Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 0.97 457th 457 0.0%
2019 2.05 470th 472 0.4%
2021 1.40 439th 439 0.0%
2022 7.66 437th 455 4.0%
2023 3.90 455th 463 1.7%
2024 17.14 393rd 441 10.9%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: South Carolina Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Sandhills Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Sandhills Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2002 437 137 1 9 0 n/a n/a 1 585
2003 437 137 1 9 0 n/a n/a 1 585
2004 410 126 1 15 0 n/a n/a 1 553
2005 430 105 2 20 0 n/a n/a 0 557
2006 393 102 1 21 0 n/a n/a 2 519
2007 376 112 0 25 1 n/a n/a 0 514
2008 338 110 0 23 4 n/a n/a 0 475
2009 349 119 0 29 3 n/a n/a 0 500
2010 382 113 0 32 3 n/a n/a 0 530
2011 364 92 0 30 1 0 13 0 500
2012 347 82 0 35 1 0 14 0 479
2013 339 74 0 39 1 0 12 0 465
2014 322 87 0 48 2 0 15 0 474
2015 338 110 0 56 2 0 21 0 527
2016 360 104 1 68 3 0 12 0 548
2017 323 106 0 83 6 1 18 0 537
2018 283 86 0 102 5 1 37 0 514
2019 264 90 2 103 4 0 33 0 496
2020 280 91 2 108 1 0 36 0 518
2021 246 94 1 118 2 1 37 0 499
2022 243 89 3 129 1 1 27 0 493
2023 264 65 2 126 2 0 29 0 488
2024 229 78 0 135 2 0 30 0 474

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sandhills Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2002 585 33.0 17.7 69.2
2003 585 33.0 17.7 69.2
2004 553 31.0 17.8 71.7
2005 557 33.0 16.9 71.8
2006 519 32.0 16.2 72.9
2007 514 45.0 11.4 72.4
2008 475 30.0 15.8 74.5
2009 500 25.0 20.0 76.6
2010 530 34.0 15.5 74.9
2011 500 30.0 16.6 79.6
2012 479 22.0 21.7 81.8
2013 465 24.0 19.3 83
2014 474 24.0 19.7 82.3
2015 527 28.0 18.8 91.1
2016 548 29.0 18.8 100
2017 537 30.0 17.9 100
2018 514 32.5 15.8 100
2019 496 30.5 16.2 100
2020 518 32.0 16.1 100
2021 499 30.0 16.6 100
2022 493 32.5 15.1 100
2023 488 36.0 13.5 100
2024 474 34.0 13.9 100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Sandhills Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2002 585 33.0 17.7 69.2
2003 585 33.0 17.7 69.2
2004 553 31.0 17.8 71.7
2005 557 33.0 16.9 71.8
2006 519 32.0 16.2 72.9
2007 514 45.0 11.4 72.4
2008 475 30.0 15.8 74.5
2009 500 25.0 20.0 76.6
2010 530 34.0 15.5 74.9
2011 500 30.0 16.6 79.6
2012 479 22.0 21.7 81.8
2013 465 24.0 19.3 83
2014 474 24.0 19.7 82.3
2015 527 28.0 18.8 91.1
2016 548 29.0 18.8 100
2017 537 30.0 17.9 100
2018 514 32.5 15.8 100
2019 496 30.5 16.2 100
2020 518 32.0 16.1 100
2021 499 30.0 16.6 100
2022 493 32.5 15.1 100
2023 488 36.0 13.5 100
2024 474 34.0 13.9 100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Sandhills Elementary

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $284 (2.9%) $62 (0.6%) $346 (3.5%) $7,294 (74.2%) $2,187 (22.3%) $9,482 (96.5%) $9,828
2020 $688 (6.8%) $579 (5.7%) $1,267 (12.5%) $6,847 (67.4%) $2,040 (20.1%) $8,887 (87.5%) $10,154
2021 $762 (7.3%) $729 (7.0%) $1,491 (14.3%) $7,494 (72.1%) $1,412 (13.6%) $8,907 (85.7%) $10,397
2022 $804 (7.5%) $685 (6.4%) $1,489 (13.8%) $7,978 (74.1%) $1,297 (12.0%) $9,275 (86.2%) $10,764
2023 $964 (7.9%) $1,571 (12.9%) $2,535 (20.8%) $8,299 (68.0%) $1,376 (11.3%) $9,675 (79.2%) $12,210

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sandhills Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 608th of 643 Elementary schoolsRanks 545th of 644 Elementary schools
 9.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Sandhills Elementary)27.333.5
 6.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Lexington 04)27.333.5
 6.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)49.753.5
 3.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Sandhills Elementary)28.936.4
 7.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Lexington 04)28.936.4
 7.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)57.753.6
 4.1%
4th Grade Science (Sandhills Elementary)24.225.7
 1.5%
   4th Grade Science (Lexington 04)24.225.7
 1.5%
   4th Grade Science (South Carolina)5246.6
 5.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Sandhills Elementary)2338.8
 15.8%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Lexington 04)2338.8
 15.8%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)51.357.2
 5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Sandhills Elementary)18.523.3
 4.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Lexington 04)18.523.3
 4.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)50.547
 3.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students496488
 1.6%
African American9065
 27.8%
American Indian42
 50%
Asian22
Hispanic103126
 22.3%
Pacific Islander00
White264264
Two or More Races3329
 12.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%100%


Schools Near Sandhills Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Sandhills Elementary

Students who attend Sandhills Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Frances F. Mack Intermediate
Middle : Sandhills Middle
High : Swansea High

Sandhills Elementary ranks 455th of 638 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Students at Sandhills Elementary are 48% White, 28% Hispanic, 16% African American, 6% Two or more races.

In the 2023-24 school year, 474 students attended Sandhills Elementary.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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